ESPN and BASE Productions Perfect Formula for Sport Science

Press Release – ESPN (December 7, 2009) – Los Angeles, CA and Bristol, CT – ESPN and BASE Productions have agreed to bring Sport Science to ESPN’s multimedia offerings beginning in January 2010. The three-time Emmy Award-winning unscripted Sport Science television franchise is hosted by John Brenkus, who is also the Executive Producer and co-creator of the series, along with his partner in BASE Productions, Mickey Stern.Brenkus_John009[1]

Under the new agreement, ESPN will develop an entire slate of Sport Science programming, including Sport Science-branded segments for a wide range of ESPN’s highest-profile productions, including signature series such as College Game Day, SportsCenter, and programming related to marquee events such as the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as new half-hour Sport Science special episodes for telecast on the network. Additionally, ESPN will make Sport Science content available across platforms, including ESPN.com, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile.

Sport Science is the sports television show that brings popular professional athletes together with cutting-edge technology in state-of-the-art scientific facilities to test the limits of human athletic abilities, while challenging popular assumptions about athletes and sports. The innovative experiments on the show take place under the guidance of the Sport Science Laboratory, led by Dr. Cindy Bir of Wayne State University. Bir’s experimental methods frequently put host John Brenkus in harm’s way for the sake of scientific discovery.

“Sport Science is recognized for its innovative approach to sports coverage and we know this signature property will be a tremendous asset for our fans,” said Ron Wechsler, vice president, series development & production, ESPN Content Development. “John Brenkus and Mickey Stern are proven commodities and tremendous collaborators. ESPN looks forward to leveraging all of our platforms to incorporate the signature technological analysis, cutting edge graphics, and high end production values for which the Sports Science team has become known.”

“The Sport Science brand is about bringing new and useful perspectives on sports and human performance to fans everywhere,” said Brenkus. “On ESPN, we are bringing it to the biggest stage in sports television, so each time I get flattened, dragged, choked, or otherwise abused for the sake of science, I will know we are entertaining and informing the world’s biggest audience of sports fans, and empowering more amateur and professional athletes than ever before to elevate not just their sports performance, but their human potential.”

Brenkus is a four-time Ironman™ Triathlon competitor and considers himself a slightly-above-average amateur sportsman. Standing a very average 5’ 8” tall, and tipping the scales at an equally average 160 pounds, Brenkus intersperses his hosting and executive producing duties on Sport Science with performances as the show’s “Everyman,” to help demonstrate what happens when a regular guy steps on the field, into the ring, or on the court with top athletes at the top of their games. Along the way, he helps audiences understand their own physiologies and how to improve their overall performance, health and well-being.

In previous seasons, Sport Science has featured athletes including NFL stars Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Larry Fitzgerald, Chad Ochocinco, and Ray Lewis; NBA Stars Amare Stoudemire, Kevin Love and Stephon Marbury; 2-time NHL MVP Alexander Ovechkin; PGA Player of the year Padraig Harrington; and Major League Baseball’s Cy Young winner Jake Peavey. Over the course of those episodes, Brenkus has been tossed in the air by Pro Bowl NFL lineman Kris Jenkins, choked unconscious by MMA stars Fedor Emelianenko and Gina Carano, dragged across a football field by NFL tight end Vernon Davis and hit in the head with a soccer ball from the foot of MLS star Edson Buddle.

Participating athletes, and specific tests planned for the show’s run on ESPN will be announced at a later date.

Sport Science is produced by BASE Productions. John Brenkus and Mickey Stern are executive producers for BASE. Joan Lynch, Ron Wechsler and Lee Fitting are executives in charge of production for ESPN.

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BASE Productions

BASE Productions, Inc. is a ten-time Emmy Award and sixteen-time IDEA Award-winning production company breaking new ground for cutting-edge reality, docusoap, documentary and unscripted infotainment programming. BASE has extensive resources and expertise in the use of advanced motion-capture and CGI technology, bringing a signature cinematic look and feel to all of its productions. BASE Productions is based in Los Angeles and Washington DC. The company was founded by John Brenkus and Mickey Stern. For more information, please visit www.BASEproductions.com